Movie about praying high school football coach who won at Supreme Court depicts legal, marital struggles
'Average Joe' will be in theaters October 11
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A new film is out next month based on the true story of the high school football coach whose religious liberty case went all the way to the Supreme Court.
"Average Joe," in theaters October 11, tells the story of Coach Joe Kennedy, a former assistant football coach in Bremerton, Washington, who lost his job in 2015 after he refused to stop kneeling and praying mid-field after each game, after seven years of doing so without incident. Actor Eric Close portrays Kennedy in the film, while actress Amy Acker portrays Kennedy's wife, Denise.
Kennedy sued the Bremerton School District and won his case before the Supreme Court in 2022. His case has been hailed by legal experts as a "huge win for free exercise and religious freedom."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We lost seven times in a row over almost an 8-year period and went to the Supreme Court twice. And we won 6-3 after that," Kennedy told Fox News Digital.
Coach Joe Kennedy spoke to Fox News Digital about the new film on his life, "Average Joe." (GND Media Group/ Stuart Shepard)
While his Supreme Court battle may be familiar to many, audiences will also learn in the film about how Kennedy's marriage with his wife Denise was brought to the brink by the lengthy legal battle, but later restored through their faith in God.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Before he got the coaching job, Kennedy had just retired from 20 years' service in the Marine Corps. His new marriage was on the rocks, eventually leading him to give his life over to Christ and beg for God to intervene. Just two weeks later, he was unexpectedly urged to interview for an assistant coaching job at the local high school, despite "not knowing anything about football."
Kennedy told Fox News Digital he felt God's calling to take the position and made a covenant with God that he would always give thanks on the field after every game, win or lose, eventually leading to the conflict with the school that led to his contract not being renewed.
When Kennedy decided to sue the district with the help of legal group First Liberty, Denise was still employed by the school, which put a heavy strain on their marriage, he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Coach Joe Kennedy said that his marriage nearly didn't survive during the lengthy legal battle. (GND Media Group)
"We were at our wits' end," he told Fox News Digital. "I mean, my wife was a HR Director for the school district, so she was under extreme pressure from the school. Her and I were at odds. She couldn't understand why I was doing what I was doing. And then I said, ‘if we just we get to the Supreme Court, everything will be fine.’ And then we lost the Supreme Court. She thought it was over and they kicked it all the way back to start all over again. And that was the straw that almost broke our marriage."
"But yeah, God showed up right at the right time, which was really cool and saved our marriage. And we have never been stronger. She's been by my side and just incredible this whole entire time," he continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Eventually, Kennedy won his case before the Supreme Court and was reinstated to his former job. He has since resigned.
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Kennedy's upbringing in an abusive foster care system and time in the Marine Corps is also covered in the film. He says it shaped him to be "a fighter." (GND Media Group)
Kennedy hopes his life story will both inspire people to keep fighting for their marriages and realize that God can use anyone to accomplish big things.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"If we can make it through this, anybody can make it through. You know, nothing is too big," he said.
"God can use even the least likely people and the most unqualified people to do things like this. And I want people to walk out of the theater, kind of like after a ‘Rocky’ movie, you feel a little pumped up, like I can take on the world. Hopefully give people just the strength so that they can stand up in public and aren't ashamed of their faith. And it will be the way it's supposed to be, where, ‘Yeah, I have faith. No big deal,'" Kennedy said.
Kennedy v Bremerton School District had far-reaching implications for other religious liberty cases by effectively overturning Lemon v. Kurtzman. The 1971 Supreme Court decision had established the three-pronged "Lemon test," which allowed for the government to be involved in religion only if it served a secular purpose, did not inhibit or advance religion and did not result in excessive "entanglement" of church and state.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' Jon Brown contributed to this report.